Microsoft is buying tons of carbon removal from Xprize startup Vaulted Deep

Microsoft is accelerating its efforts to meet its 2030 carbon-negative pledge by purchasing large volumes of carbon removal credits, including a recent deal to acquire 4.9 million metric tons of carbon removal from Vaulted Deep, a startup specializing in underground carbon sequestration. Vaulted Deep collects solid waste materials such as treated sewage, manure, and paper sludge, converts them into a slurry, and injects this mixture into porous underground rock formations using fracking-derived technology. This 12-year agreement, running through 2028, represents a significant step in Microsoft's strategy to offset its growing emissions, which have increased by nearly 25% since 2020 due to rapid data center expansion. Despite heavy investments in renewable energy, Microsoft faces challenges in eliminating emissions from essential operations like semiconductor manufacturing, which currently lack zero-greenhouse-gas alternatives. In 2024, the company reported 14.9 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, more than double its target for 2030. To bridge this